Judaism

Judaism is the religion, philosophy, and way of life of the Jewish people. According to the sociologist Lisa Keister (2003), this way of life may contribute directly and indirectly to wealth accumulation. The indirect effects include “childrearing, marital stability, divorce, and fertility” (p. 176) practices promoted by religious leaders. These norms and practices affect how much support and how many needs a household has, making it easier or harder to save and invest. The direct effects indicate that religion “shapes values and priorities, contributes to the set of competencies from which action is constructed, and may provide important social contacts” (p. 176). Keister uses the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which interviews the same people in 1979 and again in 1998 to examine patterns in ...